As we draw closer to Columbus Day which is celebrated on the second Monday of October every year, you’re probably wondering if you can receive your shipment despite the holiday. The Columbus Day annual holiday which commemorates Christopher Columbus’ landing in the New World is a national holiday in the United States. As such, most government and private companies would be observing the holiday. So what happens if you’re expecting a shipment today? Does USPS, FedEx and UPS Deliver on Columbus Day?
Shipping on Columbus Day depends on the courier you ship with. You can receive your mail on Columbus Day if you ship with FedEx and UPS. However, USPS does not deliver any shipment on Columbus Day. So if you’re planning any deliveries on Columbus Day, have in mind that FedEx and UPS will be making deliveries on Monday, Oct 10, which is the Columbus Day holiday for 2022.
USPS Holiday Policy
As a national postal service, the United States Postal Service (USPS) observes all federal holidays. Every USPS office will be closed during federal holidays including Columbus Day. Hence, no mail will be delivered on that day. If you’re expecting a mail or schedule a pickup, you’ll have to wait till the next day when service resumes.
There will be no deliveries from USPS on the following federal holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday
- President’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
FedEx Holiday Policy
As a private courier service, FedEx remains open on all holidays with one exception. During holidays like the Columbus Day celebration, all FedEx locations will be open except SmartPost. SmartPost stays closed during the holidays because of its affiliation with USPS. FedEx relies on USPS to ship SmartPost packages, and since USPS observes the federal holidays, SmartPost has no option but to also observe the holidays. To ship your packages through FedEx on Columbus Day, use FedEx Ground or RedEx Home delivery.
UPS Holiday Policy
The United Parcel Service operates at full service during most holidays including the Columbus Day celebration. All UPS services will be operational and pickups will be available all year except for 4 days. Although UPS doesn’t observe the Columbus Day, it observes 4 other holidays including;
- New Year’s Day
- Independence Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
To ship or pickup packages during these holidays you’ll need to use UPS Express Critical® which can be a little expensive.
USPS Delivery Time and Procedures
USPS unlike FedEx and UPS is operated by the federal government and is paid for by taxpayers’ money. Hence, it is obligated to serve Americans at a uniform price and top quality. USPS standard delivery is available from Mondays to Saturdays. Let’s take a look at some of the delivery options available for you:
- USPS Priority Mail: The USPS priority mail can be delivered between 1-3 days.
- USPS First-class Package Service: This service offers delivery that would arrive between 1-3 days.
- USPS Priority Mail Express: The USPS priority mail express can deliver packages overnight or scheduled for delivery which will arrive between 1-2 days.
- USPS Retail Ground: The USPS retail ground is a cost-effective service but has a slower delivery rate, and has several restrictions on what can be sent. The delivery time for the retail ground is between 2 – 8 days.
- USPS Media: This is another cost-effective delivery option which the same delivery time as the USPS retail ground. However, it has lesser restrictions on what can be sent.
FedEx Delivery Time and Procedures
FedEx offers a range of shipping services including overnight shipping, ground shipping, or shipping to a residence. Let’s take a look at FedEx delivery time and period:
- FedEx Ground: FedEx ground delivers on all business days (from Monday to Friday).
- FedEx Home delivery: FedEx home delivery delivers packages every day of the week, Sundays included.
- FedEx Express Freight: FedEx express freight delivers packages between 1-3 business days.
- FedEx Overnight: FedEx overnight delivers packages the next business day. Saturday deliveries are also available.
UPS Delivery Time and Procedures
UPS offers you a variety of delivery time options to choose from. However, its service levels are less robust when compared to FedEx. Below are some of the UPS delivery options available for you:
- UPS Ground: UPS ground delivers on all business days (Monday to Friday)
- UPS Weekend Home Delivery: This delivery option offers home delivery on Saturdays, and also delivers economy packages on Sundays.
- UPS Next Day Air: This shipment option delivers goods the next business day. However, customers in areas like Alaska and Hawaii may receive their goods a little late. UPS Next Day Air does not offer weekend delivery but allows Saturday pickups in some areas.
- UPS Overnight: UPS offers overnight deliveries from Mondays to Saturdays. However, its Saturday deliveries come at an additional cost.
Conclusion
USPS services will not be available on the Columbus Day celebration and other federal holidays. However, private couriers like FedEx and UPS will remain open and active during these holiday periods. Hence, if you wish to ship packages during the holidays or you’re expecting a pickup on a federal holiday, it can only be possible with courier services like FedEx and UPS. Here we discussed that does USPS, FedEx and UPS Deliver on Columbus Day?
FAQs
Does UPS deliver on Saturdays?
Yes. You can pick up your UPS shipment or packages on Saturdays.
Does FedEx Deliver on Christmas Eve?
Yes. FedEx delivery services will be available on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Does UPS deliver on Christmas Day?
UPS will be closed on Christmas Day. However, the UPS express will be fully active.